Struggles persist in Zambia's telecommunications industry due to sustained power failures.
In the face of an unprecedented energy crisis, telecom operators in Zambia are taking proactive steps to ensure uninterrupted services for their customers. The root of the problem can be traced back to January 2023, when severe climate change and unpredictable weather events led to a drastic reduction in water levels at Lake Kariba, affecting hydroelectric power generation.
The situation has been particularly challenging for MTN SA, which invested significantly in 2023 to move its base stations off-grid. The current load shedding periods extend up to 13 to 14 hours daily, causing concern among industry regulators such as the Global System for Mobile Association of Zambia (GSMAZ). The GSMAZ has expressed worry about the negative impact of these outages on the sector's ability to provide quality services.
The GSMAZ, together with tower providers, regulators, and other stakeholders in Zambia, is considering measures such as investing in renewable energy solutions, promoting energy-efficient technologies, implementing shared infrastructure models, and advocating for supportive regulatory frameworks to develop long-term solutions for the telecommunications sector's energy crisis.
The environmental crisis has resulted in a significant decrease in electricity generation capacity for both Zambia and Zimbabwe. The GSMAZ has highlighted that Zambia is experiencing its worst climate change effects in the last 60 years of independence.
This is not a unique problem in Zambia. Across Africa, telecom operators are facing similar challenges and implementing innovative solutions to protect their infrastructure and maintain service quality. Among the measures being considered are solar-based backup solutions to enhance energy resilience.
In South Africa, telecom companies have been dealing with load shedding since 2007. The telecom industry, with over 3,500 combined tower sites connected to the national grid, is particularly vulnerable to these power disruptions due to increased costs for constant refueling and more frequent servicing of backup generators. These extended power cuts are compromising service quality and increasing operational costs for mobile network operators.
In response, MTN Zambia, Airtel Zambia, and Zamtel, which make up the GSMAZ, have issued a joint statement addressing the detrimental effects of power cuts lasting more than four hours. Similarly, Vodacom SA entered into a "virtual wheeling agreement" with Eskom to accelerate efforts in solving the country's energy crisis.
The telecom industry in Zambia is currently facing significant challenges, but the collaborative efforts of operators and stakeholders offer hope for sustainable solutions. As climate change continues to impact energy production and distribution, the telecommunications industry must adapt and innovate to ensure reliable services for their customers and support economic progress.
Read also:
- Development of Restaurant Apps: Expenses and Essential Elements
- Time is of the essence
- European transportation's sustainability and competitiveness rely on a "green industrial agreement" that serves the interests of both corporations and residents, as discussed in an Editorial from August 2024.
- Indian Oil Corporation's Panipat Refinery secures India's inaugural ISCC CORSIA accreditation for Sustainable Aviation Fuel production
